19-18 BC., Augustus, contemporary forgery, Hispanic or Gallic mint (?), silver-plated fouree Denarius, cp. RIC 37a.
Augustus, contemporary forgery, Hispanic or Gallic mint(?) imitating the Caesaraugusta mint, 19-18 BC. and later,
silver-plated fouree Denarius (20-22 mm / 2,74 g),
Obv.: CAES[AR] - A[VGVSTVS] , head of Augustus, wearing oak wreath, facing right.
Rev.: DIVVS - IVLIVS , eight rayed comet with a flaming tail upwards.
cf. RIC I 37a ; cf. BMC 323 ; cf. RSC 98 ; cf. CBN 1297 ; cf. Alvarez Burgos (1992), 320, 2052 .
A comet appeared in the heavens shortly after Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 B.C., taken by many as a sign of his divinity, the comet which made a continuous daily appearance during July 44 B.C. and was hence associated with the deification of Julius Caesar.